HOUSTON COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

For Learning Management System

RFP NUMBER 23-030

For all questions about this RFP contact via email:

L. Renee Langston CPPB, Issuing Officer PH. - 478-988-6211 ext. 4

FAX – 478-988-6212

EMAIL – renee.langston@hcbe.net

RELEASED ON:

January 20, 2023

DUE ON:

February 22, 2023; 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Purpose of Procurement

The Houston County School District, hereafter referred to as the “District,” is requesting proposals for a Learning Management System.

1.2 Proposal Certification

The Houston County School District certifies the use of competitive sealed bidding will not be practical or advantageous to the District in completing the acquisition described in this RFP. Competitive sealed proposals will be submitted in response to this RFP. All proposals submitted pursuant to this request will be made in accordance with the provisions of this RFP.

1.3 Schedule of Events

This Request for Proposals will be governed by the following schedule:

01/20/2023

Release of RFP

02/10/2023

Questions due

02/14/2023

Answers to written questions posted on the HCSD website

02/22/2023 03/06/2023

Proposals due Vendor demo’s

04/18/2023

Award no later than 04/18/2023

1.4 Restrictions on Communications with Staff

All questions about this RFP shall be submitted in the following format:

Company Name

Questions shall be directed in writing to the Issuing Officer: renee.langston@hcbe.net

From the issue date of this RFP until a Vendor is selected and the selection is announced, Offerors are not allowed to communicate for any reason with any District staff except through the Issuing Officer named herein, or during the Offeror's conference, or as provided by existing work agreement(s). The District reserves the right to reject the proposal of any Offeror violating this provision. All questions concerning this RFP shall be submitted in writing (fax or email may be used) to the Issuing Officer. No questions other than written will be accepted. No response other than written will be binding upon the District. Questions and answers will be posted to the HCSD website as they are received. Website address is https://www.hcbe.net/purchasing/openbids.

1.5 Definition of Terms

Board – Houston County School District Contractor – Respondent to this Request for Proposal District – Houston County School District HCSD – Houston County School District OCGA – Official Code of Georgia Annotated (State Statute) Offeror – Respondent to this Request for Proposal RFP – Request for Proposal Vendor – Respondent to this Request for Proposal

1.6 Contract Term

Code section 20-2-506 of the laws of the State of Georgia as of this date and as may be amended apply to this agreement. If it is determined that a contract is established for this project, for the duration of the contract term established through this RFP, contracts will automatically renew on January 1 of each year unless notified in writing by HCSD.

The initial contract term is one (1) year, or less, from contract award through the end of the current calendar year and will automatically renew not to exceed 5 years (60 months) unless cancelled as specified herein.

1.7 Background

For information on the Houston County School District please go to www.hcbe.net.

1.8 Submission Expenses

The District shall not be liable for any expenses incurred by the Offeror in responding to this RFP. This shall include expenses incurred by the Offeror to conduct product demonstrations at the District site.

1.9 Right to Purchase

HCSD reserves the right to purchase from any source to include existing or future state or federal contracts, cooperatives or from any submitted proposals.

2.0 MANDATORY REQUIREMENTS

This section identifies all mandatory requirements, which must be addressed in the proposal before further consideration will be given. Each response must reference the item number it is in reference to (i.e., 2.1.a, 2.1.b, etc.).

Project Objective Houston County School District is the fourteenth largest school district in Georgia. The district is made up of 39 elementary, middle, and high schools, and multiple district sites. The Learning Management system may be used for as many as 30,000 users to include Pre K-12 students, faculty, school-based administrators, central office staff, and parents.

2.1 Scope of Work – Mandatory Requirements

The purpose of this RFP is to solicit bids for a Learning Management System. The system may be used for as many as 30,000 users to include Pre-K-12 students, faculty, school-based administrators, central office staff, and parents.

2.1.1 All offerors shall meet the mandatory requirements for each of the following:

Complete mandatory requirements & additional questionnaire and include with response flash drive: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-74OxGqks9uWied9OT0fTtpE_YS4nZLAWaIuzuNvCus/copy

2.2 Offeror Proposal – Technical Scored Responses:

i. The offeror’s proposal response must clearly demonstrate the expertise, competence, and capability of the offeror. Offerors are required to answer all questions defined in the RFP Technical Scored questionnaire. A summary of the questionnaire is below for ease of reference. The offeror is encouraged to provide a concise description outlining ability to provide the services required in the scope of this document.

ii. A submission to this RFP includes the offeror’s response to the mandatory scope of work statements as outlined below. The “Question Set – Offeror Overview” must be completed by all offerors.

· A proven track record of providing high quality service and product

· Ability to serve as a strategic partner in service and support

· Timely acquisition, deployment, and implementation

· Affordability

2.3 Company Background and Experience

Offeror will describe their background, relevant experience, and qualifications, including, but not limited to the following:

2.3.1 Company Structure

The Offeror will include in the proposal the legal form of their business organization, the state in which incorporated (if a corporation), the types of business ventures in which the organization is involved and the office location that will be the point of contact during the term of any resulting contract.

2.3.2 Vendor shall be responsible for complying with all Federal, State, County, and City laws, codes, and ordinances applicable to the performance of any work resulting from this RFP. Vendor shall be required to adhere to all applicable local environmental ordinances. Ignorance on the part of the Vendor will in no way relieve the Vendor from responsibility.

2.3.3 Vendor shall be responsible for obtaining all required permits applicable to performance under any single order placed against this RFP. Cost of any permits required are the sole responsibility of the Vendor.

2.3.4 Vendor must be providing a name and contact number of the Vendor’s Project Manager that will be available during complete install.

3.0 PROPOSAL SUBMISSION AND EVALUATION

3.1 Process for Submitting Proposals

3.1.1 Preparation of Proposal

Each proposal should be prepared simply and economically, avoiding the use of elaborate promotional materials beyond those sufficient to provide a complete presentation. If supplemental materials are a necessary part of the technical proposal, the Offeror should reference these materials in the technical proposal, identifying the document, and citing the appropriate section and page(s) to be reviewed.

3.1.2 Packaging of Proposal

The Offeror's proposal in response to this RFP must be divided into two appropriately labeled and sealed packages - a Technical Submission and a Financial Proposal.

Include original and two (2) copies of technical submission and one (1) copy of the financial proposal. One (1) USB flash drive with all documents technical and financial.

Do not include cost information in the technical submission.

The contents of each package will include:

Technical Submission Proposal Certification (Attachment A) Immigration and Security Form (Attachment B) Certificate Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility (Attachment C) Contract Exceptions (Attachment D) Technical Proposal, addressing all requirements in Section 2.0 Do not include cost information in the Technical Proposal

Financial Proposal The Offeror must use the Financial Proposal Form provided as a part of this RFP.

Mark the outside of shipping package as follows:

Name of Company Phone Number and Point of Contact for Company

RFP # 23-030

Due no later than February 22, 2023; 2:00 P.M. Eastern Time

3.1.3 Submission of Proposals

Proposals must be submitted to:

HCSD – Purchasing Dept.

L. Renee Langston, CPPB 200 Jerry Barker Drive Warner Robins, Georgia 31088 Any proposal received after the due date and time will not be evaluated.

3.2 Evaluation Process

The evaluation of proposals received on or before the due date and time will be conducted in the following phases.

3.2.1 Administrative Review

The proposals will be reviewed by the Issuing Officer for the following administrative requirements:

· Submitted by deadline

· Separately sealed Technical Submission and Financial Proposal

· All required documents have been submitted

· Technical Submission does not include any information from the Financial Proposal

· All documents requiring an original signature have been signed and are included

3.2.2 Proposal Evaluation

Proposals, which pass the Mandatory Requirements Review, will be reviewed by the Technical Evaluation Team for quality and completeness.

The following are the maximum possible points of each category:

3.2.3 Oral Presentations

The District reserves the right to choose and invite Offerors to present their technical solution to the Technical Evaluation Team. The Financial Proposal must not be discussed during the oral presentation. All Offerors submitting proposals may not be asked to make a presentation.

3.2.4 Financial Proposal Evaluation

Offerors shall use only the Financial Proposal Forms provided with the RFP (Attachment E).

3.2.5 Identification of Apparent Successful Offeror

The resulting Financial Proposal scores will be combined with the Technical Proposal score. The Offeror with the highest combined technical and financial score will be identified as the apparent successful Offeror.

3.3 Rejection of Proposals/Cancellation of RFP

The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, to waive any irregularity or informality in a proposal, and to accept or reject any item or combination of items, when to do so would be to the advantage of the District . It is also within the right of the District to reject proposals that do not contain all elements and information requested in this document. The District reserves the right to cancel this RFP at any time. The District will not be liable for any cost/losses incurred by the Offerors throughout this process.

4.0 TERMS AND CONDITIONS

4.1 RFP Amendments

The District reserves the right to amend this RFP prior to the proposal due date. All amendments and additional information will be posted to the HCSD Purchasing website, located at: https://www.hcbe.net/purchasing/openbids. Offerors are encouraged to check this website frequently.

4.2 Proposal Withdrawal

A submitted proposal may be withdrawn prior to the due date by a written request to the Issuing Officer. A request to withdraw a proposal shall be signed by an authorized individual.

4.3 Cost for Preparing Proposals

The cost for developing the proposal is the sole responsibility of the Offeror. The District will not provide reimbursement for such costs.

4.4 Sample Contract

The Sample Contract, which the District intends to use with the successful Offeror, is attached to this RFP and identified as Attachment D. Exceptions to the Contract should be identified and submitted with the Offeror's proposal. Proposed exceptions must not conflict with or attempt to preempt mandatory requirements specified in Section 2.0. Final Contract must be in accordance with the laws of Georgia. See https://tinyurl.com/2p8x6rwn for terms and conditions prohibited by governmental entities in the State of Georgia.

Prior to award, the apparent winning Offeror will be required to enter into discussions with the District to resolve any contractual differences before an award is made. These discussions are to be finalized and all exceptions resolved within one (1) week of notification. Failure to resolve contractual differences will lead to rejection of the Offeror's proposal.

The District reserves the right to modify the Contract to be consistent with the successful offer and to negotiate with the successful Offeror other modifications, provided that no such modifications affect the evaluation criteria set forth herein, or give the successful Offeror a competitive advantage.

4.5 Conflict of Interest

If an Offeror has any existing client relationship that involves the Houston County School District, the Offeror must disclose each relationship.

4.6 Compliance with Laws

The Vendor will comply with all State and Federal laws, rules, and regulations.

RFP NUMBER 23-030

Attachment A

PROPOSAL CERTIFICATION

I certify that I have read and understand the terms and conditions herein except as stated below. I further state that I am and/or my company is capable, able to, and will provide the requested products and/or service described herein. I am the owner or agent of the company stated below and am authorized and empowered to contract. By my signature on this RFP, I/we guarantee and certify that all items included in my bid meet or exceed specifications.

I certify that this quotation is made without prior understanding, agreement, or connection with any corporation, firm or person submitting a quotation for the same materials, supplies, equipment, or services and is in all respects fair and without collusion or fraud. I understand collusive bidding is a violation of State and Federal Law and can result in fines, prison sentences, and civil damage awards. I agree to abide by all conditions of the quotation and certify that I am authorized to sign this quotation for the Vendor.

SUBMITTED BY_________________________________________ DATE _______________

TITLE____________________________________EMAIL: ____________________________

COMPANY NAME____________________________________________________________

ADDRESS________________________________CITY______________ST_____ZIP_______

TELEPHONE NUMBER_______________________FAX NUMBER_____________________

COMPANY WEBSITE _________________________

SIGNATURE _________________________________________________________________

Attachment B Contractor Affidavit under O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91(b)(1)

By executing this affidavit, the undersigned contractor verifies its compliance with O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91, stating affirmatively that the individual, firm or corporation which is engaged in the physical performance of services on behalf of Houston County School District has registered with, is authorized to use and uses the federal work authorization program commonly known as E-Verify, or any subsequent replacement program, in accordance with the applicable provisions and deadlines established in O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91. Furthermore, the undersigned contractor will continue to use the federal work authorization program throughout the contract period and the undersigned contractor will contract for the physical performance of services in satisfaction of such contract only with subcontractors who present an affidavit to the contractor with the information required by O.C.G.A. § 13-10-91(b). Contractor hereby attests that its federal work authorization user identification number and date of authorization are as follows:

Federal Work Authorization User Identification Number Date of Authorization

Name of Public Employer

I hereby declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

Executed on ______, ___, 202__ in ____________________(city), ______(state).

Signature of Authorized Officer or Agent

Printed Name and Title of Authorized Officer or Agent

SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN BEFORE ME

ON THIS THE ______ DAY OF ______________,202__.

NOTARY PUBLIC

My Commission Expires:

Attachment C

Certificate Regarding Debarment, Suspension, Ineligibility

The Houston County School District is a recipient of Federal monies. As such we require that participating vendors not be debarred, suspended, ineligible or excluded from doing business with the Federal government or any agency thereof.

The prospective participant certifies, by submission of the proposal, that neither it, nor its principals, is presently debarred, suspended, proposed for debarment, declared ineligible, or excluded from participation in this transaction by any Federal department or agency.

Organization Name

Name(s) and Title(s) of Authorized Representative(s)

Signature(s) Date

Attachment D

DISTRICT STANDARD CONTRACT

SAMPLE CONTRACT

CONTRACT

This writing shall constitute the entire agreement between the Houston County School District, and _(VENDOR)_________________________________.

AGREEMENT: The Houston County School District agrees to the services provided by (VENDOR)_as listed herein and as modified from time to time. This agreement supersedes any purchase order issued in the course of executing this agreement. (VENDOR)_ agrees to provide the services and equipment listed herein in accordance with the terms and conditions herein and certifies that such services and equipment is as proposed in Houston County School District RFP # 23-030. This agreement may be modified only by written agreement and not by course of performance. This agreement becomes effective on _____ or on the day it is signed by all parties, whichever is later and will continue as indicated below.

DEFINITIONS: The meanings of the words below as used herein are defined as follows.

A. "District” as used herein means the Houston County School District, a political sub-division of the State of Georgia.

B. “Vendor or Contractor” as used herein means the company that will be awarded the contract.

LAW: The laws of the State of Georgia shall prevail in all matters concerning this contract.

TERM: Code section 20-2-506 of the laws of the State of Georgia as of this date and as may be amended apply to this agreement. In addition to other requirements, the following are specifically enumerated.

A. This contract will terminate absolutely and without further obligation on the part of the School District at the close of each calendar year. Unless the Board votes to cancel or non-renew, the contract will automatically renew at the end of each calendar year for a successive calendar year. The total contract periods shall not exceed 60 months ending _____________, except as provided herein.

B. This contract may be extended for no more than 3 months immediately following the expiring contract year.

TERMINATION:

A. The Houston County School District may terminate this contract in accordance with O.C.G.A. 20-2-506.

B. The Houston County School District may terminate this contract for non-performance of Contractor in any material respect and at the close of each calendar year by giving not less than 60 days notice to contractor.

C. The Contractor may terminate this contract for non-performance of the District in any material respect or at the close of each calendar year by giving written notice to the District not less than 60 days prior to termination.

D. The Contractor and the Houston County School District may mutually agree to terminate this contract at any time.

E. Upon total termination of this contract due to any reason, the District shall only be liable for the cost of unpaid past service periods. This District will release all equipment provided by this contract.

F. This contract will terminate absolutely and immediately at such time as appropriated and otherwise unobligated funds are no longer available to satisfy the obligations of this contract.

G. In the event of termination at the end of any calendar year period, the District shall only be liable for the cost of unpaid past service periods.

PRICE:

To be completed after proposal evaluation.

TAXES:

A. The Contractor shall be responsible for all taxes and fees and shall pay all taxes and fees brought about by this agreement.

B. The District shall provide the Contractor with a Sales & Use Tax Exemption Form.

INDEMNITY: To the extent permitted by law:

A. The parties to this Agreement will indemnify, defend and hold each other harmless from all losses, damages, claims, suits and actions (including court costs and reasonable attorney's fees) ("claims") arising out of any breach of this Agreement except to the extent caused by the negligence or intentional acts or omissions of the other.

B. The District shall not be required to insure the equipment provided under this contract from loss.

C. The District shall not be responsible for loss or damage to equipment.

ASSIGNMENT:

A. The Contractor shall not sell, assign, or transfer this agreement without the written consent of the District.

FINANCIAL PROPOSAL FORM

RFP 23-030

COST PROPOSAL

Cost of LMS System as proposed: $________________

Recurring yearly maintenance fee to begin 2nd year: $________________

Installation fees: $________________

Training: $________________

Support Fees: $________________

Addition costs (itemize):

Do you accept VISA as a method of payment for the services proposed? _______________

If yes and you charge a fee for acceptance, what is the fee? _______________

Billing Details: __________________________________________________________

SUBMITTED BY_________________________________________ DATE ___________________

PRINTED NAME _________________________________________________________________

TITLE___________________________________________________________________________

COMPANY NAME________________________________________________________________

COMPANY ADDRESS ____________________________________________________________

PHONE ______________________________ FAX ______________________________________

EMAIL ADDRESS ________________________________________________________________

WEB ADDRESS __________________________________________________________________

SIGNATURE _____________________________________________________________________

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